Esterification catalysts

ABSTRACT

Silica gel esterification catalysts which are mechanically stable and are highly abrasion free, particularly suitable for the esterification of dimethyl terephthalate, are prepared by impregnating silica gel in solutions of aluminum, titanium, zinc and tin compounds, separating the excess solutions and drying at elevated temperatures. The catalysts are further improved by treatment with a gaseous mixture of methanol and water.

"United States Patent 1191 List et al.

1451 Sept. 23, 1975 ESTERIFICATION CATALYSTS [75] Inventors: Ferdinand List; Kurt Wember, both of Marl, Germany [73] Assignee: Chemische Werke Hiils Aktiengesellschaft, Germany 22 Filed: Aug. 20, 1973 21 App]. 190.; 389,793

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 2, 1972 Germany ..'2243240 [52] U.S. Cl. 252/453; 252/452; 252/454;

252/455 R; 252/457 [51] Int. Cl. B0lj 11/40; COlb 33/70 [58] Field of Search 252/453, 452, 454, 455 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1970 Rosinski 252/453 1/1971 Keith etal. ..252}453x 4/1974 015011 ..2s2/453 Primary ExaminerPaul F. Shaver Attorney, Agent, or FirmGilbert L. Wells {57] ABSTRACT 14 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 1 of 2 3,907,709

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,907,709

FIG. 2

ESTERIFICATION CATALYSTS CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLlCATlONS Applicants claim priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 for Application Ser. No. P 22 43 240.2, filed Sept. 2, 1972 in the Patent Office of the Federal Republic of Germany. The disclosure of copending Application Ser. No. 361,597, filed May 18, 1973 of Horst Dieter Wulf ct a1, entitled Dimethyl Terephthalate Prepared by the Esterification of Terephthalic Acid is incorporated herein. This copending application discloses the state of the art of the esterification of terephthalic acid with methanol.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention is silica gel esterification catalysts.

The state of the art of preparing esters of earboxylic acids in the presence of silica gel catalysts may be as certained by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,364,251 and 3,617,226, and British Pat. No. 1,053,164. The state of the art of preparing silica gel catalysts may be ascertained by reference to the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 2nd Ed., Vol. 18 (1969), pages 6l72, under the section Silica (Amorphous), and by reference to U.S. Pat. 2,384,946 of Milton M. Marisic, 2,900,349 of Albert B. Schwartz, and 3,642,659 of Ludwig Dorn et al, French Pat. 2,010,775, published Feb. 20, 1970, and West German Application 1,187,588 of Gerhard Heinze et al, published Feb. 25, 1965 and 2,100,220 of Ernst Podschus, published July 27. 1972.

U.S. Pat. 2,384,946 discloses the preparation of a body of catalyst pellets comprising hard homogeneous porous dried gel particles bounded by smooth hard glossy surfaces consisting substantially of smooth curves and characterized by a high resistance to attrition loss, said particles having been produced by forming a hydrosol or inorganic oxide characterized by an inherent capacity of set to a hydrogel upon the lapse of a suitable period of time without addition to or subtraction from said sol of any substance, admitting said sol in the form of separate globules to a body of fluid medium substantially immiscible with water in which said globules assume spheroidal shape due to surface tension at the interface between said sol and said fluid medium, said medium being maintained at a temperature below the boiling point of said sol, retaining said spheroidal globules in said medium until gelation occurs,

retaining in said globules substantially all the constituents of said sol until gelation occurs, washing the spheroidal hydrogel and drying the washed hydrogel.

According to U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,659 porous, abrasionresistant bread-like catalyst supports containing in a matrix ofa silicon dioxide gel mixed with 0.1 to 3 percent by weight of hydrated magnesium oxide (a) silicon dioxide filler with a specific surface area of 2010 200 m /g in quantities of from 20 to 60 percent by weight and (b) an argillaceous mineral selected from the group consisting of kaolinite, montmorillonite and attapulgite in quantities of from 5 to 30 percent by weight, both quantities based on total contained solids are produced by suspensing a solid in an aqueous stable silicon dioxide sol with a specific surface area of 150 to 400 m-'/g, which solid comprises (a) a silicon dioxide filler with a specific surface area of from 20 to 200 m /g in quantities of from 20 to 60 percent by weight and (b) an argillaceous mineral selected from the group consisting of kaolinite, montmorillonite and attapulgite in quantities of from 5 to 30 percent by weight, based on the total solids in the sol: mixing the resulting suspension with hydrated magnesium oxide in quantities of from 0.1 to 3 percent by weight based on the total solids in the sol; dividing the resulting gelable mixture in droplet form in a water-immiscible liquid to effect gelation of the droplets; separating the dry solid mate rial from the liquid and drying and heating the resulting bead-like granulated material for at least ten minutes at temperatures of from 500 to 1,000C.

An object of the present invention is active, highly abrasion-free and mechanically stable silica gel csterification catalysts.

Esterification catalysts based on silicic acid are well known. Especially effective is the esterificiation of terephthalic acid with methanol in the presence of such esterification catalysts, since terephthalic acid has an unusually high melting point, but is chemically only slightly active and moreover is very difficult to dissolve in the usual solvents. These usual solvents include the low aliphatic alcohols. Accordingly, the esteriflcation of terephthalic acid is more complex than that of the other benzenedicarboxylic acids, and, therefore, a special need exists for a suitable esterification method.

It is, e.g., also very difficult to esterify trimethyl adipic acid, since here we have a combination ofa difficult reaction because of a structural limitation, and a thermal instability. Over 200C, a rapidly increasing decarboxylation sets in.

Thus, West German Pat. 1,090,641 of Wilton H. Lind discloses the esterification of gaseous terephthalic acid with gaseous methanol in the presence of pulverulent silicic acid at a temperature of approximately 300C. West German Patent 1,188,580 and the corresponding British Patent No. 1,053,164 disclose also the esteriflcation of gaseous terephthalic acid with gaseous methanol in a bed of solids filled with silicic acid in particle form, whereby the favorable method of charging the stream of methanol vapor with gaseous terephthalic acid permits a largely arbitrary standard of the molar ratio of terephthalie acidsaleohol. West German Pat. No. 1,088,474 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,364,251 teaches the reaction of pulverulent terephthalic acid with gaseous methanol in a fluidized bed of solids made up of pulverulent esterification catalysts such as silicates, hydroxides, oxides or phosphates. The fluidized bed is swirled up by a carrier gas. According to West German Pat. 1,224,313 corresponding to U.S. Pat. 3,617,226, the esterifieation of pulverulent terephthalic acid with gaseous methanol in the presence of silica gel in particle form succeeds in a rotary furnace whereby this esterification method, unlike the fluidized-bed process, is not bound or limited by particular gas velocities. West German Pat. Application No. 1,933,946 published Jan. 21, 1971 and corresponding to U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 39,761, filed May 22, 1970, inserts a rotary tube provided with a blade construction and heating surfaces into the fluidized oven bed. Herein, pulverized terephthalic acid with gaseous methanol is finely dispersed by a blowing action, and this mixture is immediately led through a bed of solids with an esteriflcation catalyst in particle form, whereby any desired throughput can be managed, i.e., the speed and the staying times are optionally variable.

l and 5 u are used. Suitable as such admixed materials are oxide gels. but alsosand. soot, clay. graphite, metthrough acid catalysts, extremely long reaction times,

alcohol decomposition through formation of ether and olefiries and expenditure of high pressure apparatus. Rather, the esterification in thepresence of silicic acid can be accomplished continuously and without pressure, whereby the reaction expires in a few seconds.

The silicic acid method works with very high temperature reactions, and since the average staying time of the reaction productsamounts to only a few seconds, no

of theactive surface of the silicic acid contact and that the size and distribution of pores is a great depending factor. This means that the particularly active silica gel varieties used are those that have the largest inner surface formed by the capillary walls, and these are the varieties that are commercially described as fine-pored.

As a disadvantage in the above-mentioned esterification process which takes place in the presence of silicic acid, the decomposition or the abrasion of particulate silicic acid is seen. The small particles of silica gel undergo abrasion which, in the rotary furnace. in the fluidized bed and in the bed of solids, are moved either by the gas stream or also mechanically. In addition to .that, the silica gel particles disintegrate under the esterification conditions, i.e., especially at high temperature and when water is present. This reaction is particularly observed when the fine-pored silica gel verieties are used which have a large inner surface and are, therefore, particularly active. The result is that, with a continuous process, fine contact dust settles in the contact bed andthisleads to channel formation and, therefore, results in a no largerhomogeneous distribution of the gas stream. Simultaneously, after a longer continuous time, an increase in gas resistanceoccursin the contact bed and in the after-reactor system.

The above-mentioned limitations which are caused by particle decomposition, particledust respectively of the silica gel contact in particle form, can largely be overcome by replacing fragmented silica gels with manufactured materials such as cylindrical materials which are made according to an arbitrary formation process of pure silicated brine after dehydration and, if necessary, calcination, are preserved in solid, dry active form (e.g., see Ullman, Encyclopedia der technischenChemie," Vol. 15, pp. 723724 (1964), and are subsequently subjected to an aftertreatment for the'hardening of the surface. This aftertreatment, as described in West German Pat. No. l,667,430 and corresponding French Pat. No. 1,585,305 consists of periodically treating the gel particles with alcohol vapors which can contain small portions of water or acetic acid, when the temperature is increased. v

It is also known that the abrasion resistance of "the manufactured silica gels can really be increased by dispersing finely divided solid admixed materials in the siglicic acid-hydrosol. used in the productionofthe gel (West GermanPat. No. 1,096,336), whereby admixed materials with anaverage particle diameterof between als, oxides. silicates, phosphates. fluorides. sulfides. carbides, and several inorganic. compounds. Hereby. however, there is no limitation to only very definite particle sizes of the admixed materials, but it is generally a matter of materials that are chemically different from the hydrosol and, therefore, in catalytic processes, often yield undesirable reaction characteristics. Butabove all, the inner surfaces of these gels. which decisively affect the activity of the catalyst. are greatly reduced. The csterification activity of these very abra- "sion-proof silica gels istherefore, very slight. When this deficiency is compensated for byincreasing the temperatures over 330C, then we see more and more side reactions, especially a' methanol splitting with formation of dimethylether which, attemperatures over 340C, further disintegrates with formation of formic aldehyde and methane, Finally under esterification conditions and with increased temperature these byproducts form carbon, whereby the durability and the activity of the catalyst are decisively and disadvantageously affected.

Also, West German Pap-No. 1,767,754 corresponding to French Pat. No. 2,0l0.775,'published Feb. 20, 1970 and US. Pat. No. 3,642,659 discloses the formation of such sphericalsilica gels which are distinguished by an extremely high mechanical strength, i.e.,'breaking strength and abrasion resistance, and additionally by a high thermal stability. These pearl granules are produced according to the well known sol/gel process;

I 'by suspending solid substances in an aqueous, stable weight of MgO, relative to'the water-free granule; by dividing this gellablemixture into drops of the required size; by gclling these drops in a water immiscible'liquid;

by separating the granule from the liquid; by drying and calcining, whereby suspended in the silicon dioxide sol are a silicon dioxide containing filler with a specific surface of from 2 0 to 200 m lg according to BET in quantities of from 20 to percent by weight relative to the dry granule, and a'rgillaceous material from the group of kaolinites, montmorillonites and attapulgites in quantities of from 5 to 30 percent by weight. The suspension acquired is gelled to a bead-like granular material by adding hydrated finelydivided'magnesium oxide and the dispersion of the suspension droplet form in water-immiscible medium, and the granule is subsequently driedand hardened fromat least 10 minutes at a temperature of 500 to l0OOC. Therefore, amorphous silicaor silicate fillers may be used as pore-- filling frame substances, whereby the supporting effect of the fillers on the gel is enhanced by relatively little I addition of'argillaceous materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The appended drawings illustrate apparatus useful in the present invention, wherein:

wbed esterification apparatus for the continuous esterifi- FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a simpli- -fied'esterificati on apparatus of: the prior art; and

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a fluidized cation of terephthalji c acid with methanol.

COMPARISON TESTS FOR SILICA GEL CATALYSTS Method (FIG. 1): A vertical tube 1, diameter: 60 mm. length: 500 mm, with a filter plate 2 whereupon is located a layer of Raschig" rings or glass beads 3, is filled with a mixture of 100 g terephthalic acid and 240 g silica gel catalyst 4. The tube is heated with an electric heater 5. At a temperature of 300C (thermometerz6). 100 g methanol is fed in, within 12 minutes, from a reservoir 7 by wayof a piston metering pump 8. In the pre-heated 9, heated with a heat transfer oil, the methanol is evaporated and heated to approximately 140C. Next, the gas stream is superheated to Physical Data:

Commercial silica gel.

Silica gel. spheriin particles. finepored. cally made l-3 mm (Grace-Silica-Gel. Fr. Patent 2,010,775 type 125) l-3 mm special surface m/g 800 I10 pore volume ml/g 0.45 0.45 to 0.60

d) pore diameter A I bulk weight kg/h 0.7 to 0.75 0.65

annealing loss (600C)% to 7.5* 1

The fine-pared silica gel contains 6.5 to 7.5% water of constitution which is necessary for the construction of the porous structure and cannot be removed without loss of the essential properties of the gel (especially the large, specific surface). Therefore. it is not possible to reactivate by calcining or annealing at 600 to 650C. these fine-pared silica gels unlike the thermally and mechanically very stable silicic pearl granules with filling material.

- Abrasion:

Method: On a shaking machine of the Strohlein system, cm catalyst is shaken in a 500 cm glass bottle at a lifting height of 100 mm and 180 lifts per minute, for 24 hours:

Commercial silica gel. Silica gel, spherically in particles. fineporcd, madc l-3 mm (Gracc-Silica- Fr. Patent 2.010.775 Gel. type I25) I to 3 mm Abrasion 7: I657 0.3

300C (thermometer:l0) in the upper part of the reaction tube which is also filled with Raschig rings or glass 0 beads. The discharge is caught in the funnel flask 11,

and the boiling methanol is condensed in the cooler 12. The amount of the eventually appearing. low-boiling cleavage products is measured in the rear position gasmeter 13. Liquid vapor traps l4 and 15 condense entrained vapors.

Solids in the Silica gel, in particles, Silica gel, spherically fine-pored, l-3 mm made (Grace-Silica-Gel, Fr. Patent 2,0l0,775

type l to 3 mm Discharge g 70.5 I9

52 mg KOH/g 115 DMT %-weight 62.92 52.7

MMT %-w 37.08 47.3

DMT g 4.4 10.0

MMT g 26.l 9.0

Waste gas I 4 4 (dimethyl ether) DMT=Terephthalic acid dimethyl ether MMT=Terephthalic acid monornethylester TPS=Terephthalic acid SZ=Acid Number Water sensitivity:

Method: I00 g catalyst is covered with 300 cm water and left standing for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Particle decomposition in '71 54 0 Estcrification activity:

Experimental findings further confirm that the esterification activity of the silica gel catalysts depends on the specific surface of the material and that, therefore, the mechanically and thermally very stable silica gel types are unsuitable as esterification catalysts. To be sure, they presence of filler materials, especially of A1 0 which is present in a concentration of 8 percent. does not, by the observed experimental temperature (300C), produce any methanol division in the direction of dimethyl ether formation. This, indeed, happens very much when we try to overcome the inactivity of the catalyst by raising the temperature 340C).

Still needed, therefore, are available esterification Catalysts, especially based on silicic acid, that are both highly abrasion-free and also highly active. 7 I I Therefore, it is the task of the present invention'to come up with catalysts which overcome the deficiency of those catalysts, especially for the esterification of terephthalic acid with methanol, particularly with pearshaped and spherical silica gel catalysts, preferably such as are produced according to the methods of West German Pat. No. 1,096,336 of Albert B. Schwartz; corresponding to US. Pat. No. 2,900,349 and West German Application 1,767,754, corresponding to French Pat. No. 2,010,775, published Feb. 20, 1970 and which catalyze particularly the csterification of gaseous or pulverulent terephthalic acid with gaseous methanol in a fluidized bed, a bed of solids or rotary oven or also a combination of same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the problem of the limitations of prior art silica gel catalysts by saturating the shaped silica gel esterification catalysts with dissolved compounds of aluminum, titanium, zinc, and tin, by separating them from the excess solution, and by, if necessary, drying them in a vacuum at a raised temperature.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS shaped silica gel catalysts every natural or syn- .thetic fporousamorphous, in-hard-form-existing silica .gel isappropriate which is produced, e.g., from the silicic hydrosols (waterglass according to known gelling processes depositionwith mineral acids) with followup drying, especially pearl-shaped and spherical ones, and, above all, the ones that are acquired according to the methods of US. Pat. No. 2,900,349 and French Pat. No. 2,010,775. I 7

According to Chemical Abstracts, Vol. 74, p. 57,741 (1971), French Pat. No. 2,010,775 discloses that suitable catalyst supports, e.g. containing 3 wt. of V 0 for'transformation of SO to $0 in a fluidized bed, areporous SiO -based beads which are resistant to abrasion and can be impregnated with metal salts or mineral acids without losing mechanical resistance and having no catalytic effects of their own, e.g. to cause cracking reactions. The beads are prepared by making a suspension of 35 50 weight percent solid siliceous substance with specific surface of 200 m /g (BET) and 15 weight percent of an argillaceous substance in a stable SiO sol with a specific surface of 150 400 I m /g and containing 15 40 percent SiO The resulting suspension is mixed with 0.1 3 weight percent aqueous dispersion of fine particles of MgO with a specific surface of 50 m /g; the gelifiable mixture is dispersed in drops of the required size in a liquid not miscible with H O where the change sol to gel takes place. Very small drops for catalyst supports for fluidized beds are dispersed centrifugally. The granules are separated, dried, and calcined for 10 minutes at 500 1000.' The siliceous substances with a large specific surface are obtained by precipitation with acid. A small amount of metallic oxide is formed as an impurity. When alkaline earth or Al salts are used for the precipitation, the product contains some CaO or A1 0 Suitable argillaceous material are purified kaolinite, montmorillonite, and especially attapulgite, These augment the mechanieven through partial dissolution of silica gel supports was expected.

As compounds of aluminum, titanium, zinc and tin the following are suitable: sodium aluminate, potassium aluminate.- titanic ester (such as, for example, titanic tetraethyl ester, tetrapropyl ester, tetraisopropyl ester, tetrabutyl ester, etc.), tin tetraacetate, stannic tetraethyl ester, zinc acetate; i.e., those compounds which, under customary esterification conditions (namely raised temperature in the presence of reaction water) or by the later-on'described gasing of the contact, produce oxidic or hydroxidic groups. The alcoholates of the tetravalent titanium and tin are to be understood as ortho esters ofthezacid metallic hydroxides concerned and are technically closely related to the esters of silicic acid. They are hydrolytically split by H O, whereby the hydrolytic charge becomes less and less with the lengthening of the chain.

Suitable aluminum compounds include sodium aluminate, potassium aluminate, aluminum organic compounds 3 to 18 carbon atoms, especially aluminum alkyles as trimethyl aluminum, triethyl aluminum, tri-isoor .n-propyl aluminum, the tributyl aluminums, the trimethyl etherate aluminum Al(CI-I .(C I-I O, the triethyl etherate aluminum AI(C H .(C A O, the tripropyl etherate aluminum Al(C I-I .(C A O, the aluminum aryles as triphenyl aluminum, tri-p-tolyl aluminum and their etherates, and mixed compounds as the lithium aluminum esters of lower alkohols as methanol, ethanol, the propanols and the butanols.

Suitable titanium organic compounds having 4 to 24 carbon atoms include esters as titanic tetramethyl ester, titanic tetraethyl ester, titanic tetrapropyl ester, titanic tetraisopropyl ester, the titanic tetrabutyl esters, the following ester up to the titanic tetrastearyl esters including esters from iso-alcohols as the titanic 2- ethylhexyl ester, esters from polyvalent alcohols as the titanic ethylglycol ester, complex esters as Na H Ti(O C H and organic titanic compounds, especially tetraalkyl titanium as tetraisopropylic titanium. Suitable zinc organic compounds having 2 to 12 carbon atoms include zinc acetate, zinc propionate and zinc butyrate, complex zinc compounds, especially with ,B-diketones as acetyl acetone, 2,4-hexandione, 3,5-heptandione, isopropyl acetylacetone, 3,5-octandione, isobutyl acetone. 4,6-nonandione and other compounds which form chelates with zinc; also suitable are organic zinc compounds as zinc alkyl, zinc aryl and mixed compounds, zinc 'dimethyl, zinc diethyl, the zinc dipropyls, the zinc dibutyls and'the zinc diamyls (preferably the iso-alkyles), ethyl-n-propyl zinc, ethylisobutyl zinc, npropyl-isobutyl zinc, isobutyl-isoamyl zinc, zinc diphenyl, zinc ditolyl and zinc betanaphthyl.

Suitable tin compounds include organic tin compounds having 4 to 24 carbon atoms, esters, mixed compounds and products of hydrolyses thereof and stannic acid esters. Suitable are tin tetramethyl, tin tetraethyl, the tin tetrapropyls up to the tin tetraoctyls, tin tetraacetate, tin tetrapropionate and tin tetrabutyrate, tin trimethylethyl, tin trimethylpropyl, tin triethylpropyl, tin triethylisopropyl, tin tri-n-propyl-isobutyl, tin tri-n-amyl-n-propyl etc., tin tetraphenyl, tin tetratolyl, tin tetraxylyl, (C,Hg) Sn OH, (C,Hg) SnO, (C I-Ig) Sn (OOC CH (C Hg) Sn OCH and (C Hg) SnO C2H5.

These and similar compounds are suitably used in dilute solutions, whereby the solvents must be fully inert in contrast to the catalyst compounds. The titanic and stannic esters used are, for example, extremely sensitive to water. Therefore, the use of water is excluded in this case. Instead, hydrocarbons such as n-hexane, heptane, etc., or alcohols such as methanol, butananl are used herein. In order, on the other hand, to assure a good dosing and, on the other, to avoid a deposition out of the solution, which could occur by inserting titanic or stannic ester in the presence of air, it is necessary to use not too high a concentration in the solution. The solutions should contain the compounds in from 0.01 to 8, preferably 0.1 to 5, and specifically 0.2 to 2.5 percent by weight of metal.

The amount of the solutions can greatly vary. The added solution must, however, completely cover the to be saturated catalyst layer during the entire impregnation process. The ratio is, naturally, dependent upon the specific weight of the solvent and upon the loose weight of the silica gel catalyst.

Generally, the proportion by weight of the solution to the catalyst is, for example 2:1, especially l.5:l, and most preferably 1.25:1.

Examples of the overall combination of compounds of aluminum, titanium, zinc or tin solvent catalyst in parts by weight include 0.5 to 50, especially 1.5 to 30 parts by weight of the metal 1,000 parts by weight of the solvent 400 to 1,200, especially 600 to 1,000 parts by weight of the catalyst.

The saturation can take place in the temperature range of from to 50C under agitation and if necessary in a vacuum chamber. In the preferred form, it is sufficient to cover over the stationary pearl catalyst layer with the solution, and to let it stand for 3 to hours. The discharge of the impregnant can periodically be followed by measuring the decrease of the catalyst concentration in the impregnating solution. For example, the titanium content decreases from originally 2.07 percent to 0.01 percent within 6 hours, when .the silica gel pearl catalyst is activated according to .French Pat. No. 2,010,775, with a solution of titanic tetrapropylate in hexane. g After the saturation, the catalyst solution is poured off the impregnated contact. After increasing the concentration of the catalyst salts, this impregnation solution can be charged again. The pearl catalyst wet with beaded moisture is subsequently dried at increased temperature, if necessary, in a vacuum, until the sol- ,vent is removed.

In a preferential product form, after the drying, the steamed-up pearls are heated, in a suitable way, by ro- -tation in the rotary oven at slowly rising temperatures ;up to 150C. and are gassed with a steam mixture of methanol and water (proportion by weight 3:1) which is superheated up to 150C, whereby, per hour, 1 part of catalyst by weight to 0.5 part of gas mixture by weight are injected. After 0.5 to 5 hours, preferably 1 to 4 hours. particularly 1.5 to 2.5 hours. the aftertreatment is finished.

The metal of the impregnated silica gel catalyst is presumably co nnected to the catalyst by means of silanole groupsSiOH or similar active groups which are able to undergo chemical reactions with the previously formed products of hydrolysis.

The concentration in weight percent of the metal of the aluminum, titanium, zinc or tin compounds based on the weight of the silica gel catalyst base is about 0,1 to 5 and preferably 0,2 to 2,5

It is surprising that the mechanically very stable, but little active pearl catalyst bases can be used in such a simple manner without changing the prominent mechanical and thermal characteristics. It is, namely, not at all self-evident that the compounds added which, as we known, under proper conditions can catalyze the esterification in a fluid phase. are also appropriate to catalyze the esterification reaction of solid terephthalic acid with gaseous methanol under fully different physical conditions. In the literature which specifically deals with the esterification of solid terephthalic acid with gaseous methanol (Nowotny, Erdol und Kohle", 1969, pp. 707-710), it is explained that the use of salts of a heavy metal, which in the esterification techinque are generally known as catalysts, especially phosphate and oxides such as zinc phosphate, zinc oxide, zinc borate, borophosphate, lead to little improvement in the esterification of solid terephthalic acid with gaseous methanol. The improvement, if any, only leads to monomethyleterephthalate. Here it is emphasized that, according to Table l of the present invention, also the esterification in the presence of TiO leads only to the monomethylterephthalate step. Also the saturation of carrier materials, such as silica gels, with these esterification catalysts leads. to dissatisfactory changes compared to the pure silica gels. according to Table 3 of the present invention.

Along the same lines, it has been observed in the examples that follow that an csterfication performed on a relatively inactive silica gel with a small specific surface cannot be activated by injecting, e.g., titanic esters into the silica gel.

On the other hand, it is the more surprising that one can reactivate the silica gel contacts which are activated with, e.g., titanic esters or aluminates and are of high strength, after a long transmission time, by an annealing in the air flow at 300 to 700C, and preferably at 500 to 600C. Here it was to be expected that under these conditions the very unstable titanic esters, aluminates respectively, immediately change into the little active T10 A1 0 iespectively. Indeed, French Pat. No. 2,010,775 discloses that the catalyst carrier obtained therein is impregnated with solutions of vanadium compounds, e.g., with a potassium vanadate solution, and is thereafter annealed at 500C (whereby, out of the vanadates, fundamentally V 0 results) in order to produce the well known V 0 catalysts for the Knietsch-sulfuric-acid-process. By this process, well known sulfur dioxide bearing roasting gases from the pyrites oven, are oxidized. The transformation of S0 with 0 requires, because of the inertness of the gas molecules, the accelerating action of the heat. Since, however, at over 430C, the trioxide breaks down, reversely, into 0 1- S0 contact substances must be used that catalyze the process at low temperatures with the necessary speed. Heretofore the catalyst used for many decades now, has been V 0 precipitated on pumice stone or clay which, at 425C, unusually accelerates the S0,, formation. (See, K. A. Hoffmann, Anorganische Chemie," 12 Ed.. p. 155, lines 1 2).

According to the variation disclosed in French Patent 2,010,775 the production of such sulfuric acid catalyst by the impregnation of a porous carrier with active vanadium oxides, does undoubtedly not allow for the conclusion that particularly effective esterification catalysts are obtainable by impregnating silica gel pearls with the above-mentioned compounds and that they can be reactivated in the air by annealing, and especially that with this annealing process the formation of the oxides which are inactive for the esterificatio'n reaction, would be expected.

Specific embodiments of the preparation of the esterification catalysts of the present invention and the new and unexpected results obtained therewith are illustrated in the following examples.

EXAMPLE 1.

106 g of an alkaline sodium aluminate solution which contains 7.56 percent by weight aluminum, is diluted with 894g of H and to the resulting solution are added 800 g of silica gel pearl catalyst, of 1 to 3 mm, produced according to French Pat. No. 2,010,775, and this mixture is allowed to stand for 12 hours. The pearls absorb 500 of the solution. The remaining solution is poured off and the pearls are dried at 50 to 100C in a vacuum drying chamber. 0.5 percent by weight Al is absorbed. Before the charge, the catalyst is gassed with a mixture of CH OH/H O (3:1) at a temperature of 150C.

For the esterification, the test apparatus and method are of the type described above and shown in FIG. 1. Charging composition: 100 g terephthalic acid mixed with 240 g silica gel catalyst, gassing with 100 g methanol at 300C, testing duration 12 minutes.

percent by weight Zn (1.2 parts solution by weight to 1 part pearl contact by weight) whereby 1 percent zinc is absorbed. After the drying and the subsequent gassing with CH OH/H O at 150C. the following values are measured in the activity test:

To a solution of 7.20 parts by weight of titanic tetran-propylate in 105 parts by weight of n-hexane, are added, at room temperature, 100 parts by weight of silica gel pearl catalyst, 1 to 3 mm, produced according to French Pat. No. 2,010,775. After 6 hours, the re- The cylindrical silica gel catalyst of Example 1 is im- The esterification apparatus, charging composition, temperature, transmission time are as described in Expregnated with an aqueous zinc acetate solution with 2 ample l.

Silica gel, cylinlmpregnated Impregnated drical, according with 1% Ti with 1% Ti to French Patent (5th charge) 2,010,775 1 to 3 mm not impregnated Discharge g 19 SZ mg KOH/g 84.6 57.4 DMT weight 52.7 72.82 81.4 MMT weight 47.3 21.18 18.6 TPS weight DMT g 10 62.2 73.3 MMT g 9 22.8 16.7 TPS t g Waste gas 1 4 4 5 (dimethyl ether) 13 EXAMPLE 4.

For the continuous esterification of terephthalic acid with methanol, the apparatus of FIG. 2 is used:

Into a horizontally positioned rotary oven 16, fitted with a blade system and a double wall having a volume of approximately 600 liters, and heated by heatcarrying steam 17 heat-carrying stem generator 18 to approximately 320C, and loaded with 240 liters of a cylindrical silica gel which, by adding filling materials, is very abrasion-free and thermally stable (produced according to French Pat. No. 2,010,775), pulverulent terephthalic acid is fed from the hopper 19 through a double worm 20 at a velocity of 43 (53) kg/h. Parallel thereto, superheated methanol 21 (methanol superheater 23) of approximately 340C is fed in by a nozzle via tube 25 at a velocity of 129 (159) kg per hour. By choice, the stream of the superheated methanol can be partially injected at the bottom of the rotary oven. In the oven, a temperature of 290, 265C respectively, is established. In the after fixed silica gel bed of solids 24 which is loaded with 700 liters of silica pearls (=460 kg), the esterification reaction is brought to an end, whereby the necessary reaction heat is injected into the system by condensing the heat-carrying steam at 350C.

The gaseous reaction mixture (26) coming out of the percent DMT) is cooled to approximately 10C in a second agitator vessel (sol agitator 30) and, in a centrifuge 31, separated into solids and mother liquor. The still moist methanol filter cake of the centrifuge is carried into the melting pot 32 which is kept at a temperature of from 170 to 190C. From there, the melted crude ester (SZ l, FP 140C) is fed into the DMT purifying distillation line 33. Between the fluidized bed, rotary oven 16 and the silica gel bed of solids 24, a nozzle 34 is installed which makes it possible to take specimens of the reaction stream coming out of the rotary oven during the continuous esterification. Based on the analytical data of this reaction discharge, the discharge of the esterification in the rotary oven (terephthalic acid transformation) can be continuously measured, and, thereupon, an evaluation can be made about the activity of the catalyst.

In order to obtain a comparison of the catalyst activities, the analytical values of the reaction discharge (nozzle 34) of a continuous esterification with the unimpregnated pearl catalyst of foregoing quality, are indicated. According to this comparative esterification, a part of the methanol vapor stream is periodically fed in at the bottom of the rotary oven, and, therewith, particularly favorable csterification conditions are established.

Operating hours: 10 30 35 CH OH kg/h 129 129 129 129 of this, CH OH from below kg/h 70 70 TPS kg/h 43 43 43 43 Temp. Rotary Oven (16)C 286 287 292 291 Test from the rotary oven:

SZ (Acid number) mg KOH/g 493 529 556 560 TPS weight 68.0 75.7 84.1 85.2 MMT weight 17.9 10.9 11.5 9.0 DMT weight 14.1 13.4 4.4 5.3 TPS-Transformation weight 32.0 24.3 15.9 14.8 TPS-Transformation kg 13.7 10.4 6.8 6.4

after reactor 24, consists of DMT, reaction water and methanol, and is cooled, in the after positioned condenser 27 under the generation of low pressure steam, to 160C, and is from there fed into an agitator vessel (dispersing agitator 28) filled with methanol. Herein the boiling methanol is condensed in a condenser 29 which is installed on the dispersing agitator 28, and led back into the agitator. The suspension formed of di- .methyl terephthalate in methanol (approximately 30 The esterification was then conducted with the same pearl catalyst that was by this time impregnated with titanic acid ester. The impregnation of the contact with titanium tetra-n-propylate was conducted according to the method given in Example 1, whereby the concentrations were so chose that the titanium contact of the impregnated, dry contact is 1.8 percent, before the hydrolysis. and 1.57 percent after the gassing with a mixture of CH OH/H O (3:1) at 150C within 2 hours.

TPS Transformation kg 38.6 39.4 38.8

COMPARISON EXAMPLE 6 The method of reactivating, by burning off, wherein fine-pored material which contains 6.5 to 7.5 percent water is used, leads to the following results.

Silica gel. in particles. fine-pared, 13 mm. unimpregnated oven is relatively low when the activated catalyst is in Fresh Used Aft jected. Furthermore, it is interesting to observe that, Contact Contact annealing with the increase of the transformation by using the im- Dischurgc g 70.5 55 50 pregnated catalyst, simultaneously the reaction tem- 52 mg KOH/g 115 [00 170 perature decreases substantially, i.e., under the chosen DMT by Weight 62-92 MMT 7. by weight 37.08 32.2 54.6 csterlfication conditions, a very much higher tempera- TPS v, by weight ture decline sets in between the heating surfaces and DMT g 44.4 37.3 27.3

. v the reaction material. P Q g *l' l & After an operating time of 175 hours, the catalyst 1088 Waste gas 1 4 4 4 in the rotary oven amounts to 0.5 kg, i.e., there is prac- (dlmmhy' tically no catalyst abrasion to be ascertained.

The titanium content in new catalyst is 1.57 percent, and after an operating period of 175 hours, it is 1.56 percent, which is practically unchanged.

These values (abrasion/titanium) are confirmed by a continuous esterification in commercial installations, even after long operating periods. By injecting a catalyst with 1.44 percent of titanium, after 42 days the titanium content is 1.41 percent and the contact-loss by abrasion can be practically disregarded.

ether) Test result: Used. fine-pored silica gel contact cannot be reactivated through a burning-off process.

COMPARISON EXAMPLE 7.

The rotary oven according to FIG. 2 is charged with 240 liters 170 g) unimpregnated pearl catalyst and the esterification is carried out under the usual conditions whereby a part of the methanol is injected at the bottom of the rotary oven 22. After an operating time of 20 hours, the methanol vapor entering at the bottom of the rotary oven, is mixed with a solution of titanium-tetra-n-propylate, so that within 2 hours, relative to the catalyst, a concentration of 1 percent Ti must be reached. After 15 hours, once again in the course of 2 hours, titanic esters are injected so that a total concentration of 1.7 percent Ti, relative to the catalyst, must be present.

Silica gel, cylindrical, according to French Patent 2,010,775, l to 3 mm Fresh catalyst: 1.44% Ti after 42 days: 1.41 Ti after annealing Discharge g 91 26 88.3 82 mg KOH/g 81 112 104 DMT weight 76.9 64.0 69.7 MMT weight 23.3 36.0 30.3 TPS weight DMT g 70.0 16.6 61.6 MMT g 21.0 9.4 26.7 TPS g Q Waste gas 1 4 6 4 (dimethyl ether) Test conditions Operating 15 20 21 22 25 30 35 36 40 hours CH OH kg/h 129 129 129 129 129 129 129 129 129 129 of this, CH OH from below kg/h 80 80 80 80 80 80 8O 80 8O TPS kg/h 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 Ti-tetra-nkg/h 5 5 3.5 3.5

propylate temperature in rotary oven C 291 292 289 290 292 293 292 290 294 294 Tests from the rotary oven Z mg KOH/g 424 431 352 380 360 375 TPS weight 58.3 63.1 44.6 50.5 48.0 I 50.0 MMT weight 13.1 12.8 8.8 12.4 12.0 11.0 DMT weight 28.6 24.1 46.6 37.1 40.0 39.0 TPS transweight 41.7 36.9 55.4 49.5 52.0 50.0

formation TPS transkg 17.9 15.9 23.7 21.3 22.4 21.5

formation By using instead of titanium-tetra-n-propylate (Example 3) titanic tetraethyl ester (1), titanic tetraisopropyl ester (11), titanic tetrabutyl ester (lll), titanic tetraisobutyl ester (1V), practically the same results are reached:

Discharge SZ g mg/KOH l 81 75 ll 86 3 111 79 75 IV 88 8| Discharge S7.

EXAMPLE 8.

The commercial trimethyl adipic acid (TMA) used has the following composition:

TMA (isomeric ratio 2,2.4/244 40/60 90 percent by weight Trimethyl glutaric acid 5.5 percent by weight Dimethyl succinic acid 5 percent by weight Dimcthyl malonic acid :5 percent by weight H 0 0.4

percent by weight Esterification Apparatus (according to FIG. 1)

The esterification reactor has a vertical tube 1, diameter 50 mm, length 1,000 mm, with a filter plate 2 whereupon is found a layer of Raschig rings or glass beads 3. Thereupon, approximately 1 liter silica gel catalyst 4 is poured. The upper part of the tube is also filled with Raschig rings or glass beads, and serves as pre-heater (thermometer 10). The tube is heated with an electric heater 5. From the reservoir 7, a solution of TMA in Ch OH (proportion by weight 1:3) is fed in over a funnel metering pump (8) in the heat transfer oil heated pre-heater 9 and from there into the reaction tube. The discharge is caught in the funnel flask 11. and the boiling methanol is condensed in the cooler 12. The quantity of the eventually appearing, low boiling cleavage products is measured in the rear position gas meter 13.

a Esterifieation in the presence of commercial silica gel, finepoured. l to 3 mm (Brothers Hermann. Cologne, type E).

At a reactor temperature 6 of 300C, a solution of TMA in CH OH (proportion by weight 1:3) is fed in from the supply vessel over the pre-heater (9 10, I C) whereby the to-be-dosed mixtures, in the process of the test, are changed between 100 and 500 g/h. An active esterification and simultaneously, however, also an extensive decomposition (e.g. decarboxylizing) of TMA, independently of the added mixture, are observed. The acid number of the analytically not defined discharge is, after the separation of the methanol, 210. By repeating the test at a reactor temperature of 200C, indeed no decomposition of TMA is observed. but the catalyst is also practically inactive at a low load (100 g solution/h). Discharge, methanol-free, SZ 491.

b. Esterification in the presence ofimpregnated silica gel pearls, made according to French Pat. No.

The esterificator reactor is filled with 1 liter 720 g) of silica gel pearl catalyst which is impregnated with titanic tetrapropylate and which contains 1.2 percent Ti after the preparation and gassing with aqueous methanol vapor. From the supply vessel 7, per hour 300 g of methanol solution containing 100 g TMA is fed in over the pre-heater (9 10, T =1 50C) at a temperature of 180 to C in the catalyst layer (10). Ascertained is an almost quantitative esterification without decomposition of TMA. The discharge freed from methanol has an S2 7. Under the cited conditions, the esterification is continuously performed over a period of 150 hours, without any noticeable decrease in the activity of the catalyst. No Ti 1 ppm) is found in the esterification discharge and, accordingly, the titanium content is, after 150 hours, unchanged: 1.2 percent. The methanol-free esterification discharge is distilled in a 50 cm column filled with Raschig rings (T, 150C, T,,, 120.125C, p 20(Torr mm H The output in trimethyl adipic acid dimethyl ester, relative to the injected TMA, is 85 percent of the theoretical.

We claim:

1. 1n the method for preparing active, highly abrasionfree and mechanically stable silica gel esterification catalysts from an inorganic oxide gel obtained by forming a hydrosol or inorganic oxide characterized by an inherent capacity to set to a hydrogel upon the lapse of a suitble period of time without addition to or subtraction from said sol of any substance, admitting said sol in the form of separate globules-to a body ofa fluid medium substantially immiscible with water in which said globules assume spherical shape due to surface tension at the interface between said sol and said fluid medium, said medium being maintained at a temperature below the boiling point of said sol, retaining said spheriodal globules in said medium until gelation occurs, retaining in said globules substantially all the constituents of said sol until gelation occurs, washing the spheroidal hydrogel and drying the washed hydrogel, the improvement comprising:

a. impregnating said inorganic oxide gel with a solution of a metallic compound selected from the group consisting of aluminum organic compounds having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, sodium aluminate, potassium aluminate, titanium organic compounds having 4 to 24 carbon atoms, zinc organic compounds having 2 to 12 carbon atoms and tin organic compounds having 4 to 24 carbon atoms;

b. removing excess solution; and

c. drying the impregnated inorganic oxide gel to form said active, highly abrasion-free and mechanically stable silica gel esterification catalysts.

2. In the method for preparing active, highly abrasion-free and mechanically stable silica gel esterification catalysts from an inorganic oxide gel obtained by suspending a solid in an aqueous stable silicon dioxide sol with a specific surface area of 150 to 400 m /g, which solid comprises 1. a silicon dioxide filter with a specific surface area of from 20 to 200 m /g in quantities of from 20 to 60 percent by weight, and

2. an argillaceous mineral selected from the group consisting of kaolinite, montmorillonite and attapulgite in quantities from to 30 percent by weight, based on the total solids in the sol; mixing the resulting suspension with hydrated magnesium v oxide in quantities of from 0.] to 3 percent by weight based on the total solids in the sol; dividing the resulting gelable mixture in droplet formm in a waterimmiscible liquid to effect gelation of the droplets; separating the dry solid material from the liquid and drying and heating the resulting beadlike granulated material for at least ten minutes at temperatures of from 500 to 1000C, the improve- .m ent comprising:

impregnating said inorganic oxide gel with a solution of a metallic compound selected from the group consisting of aluminum organic compounds having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, sodium aluminate, potassium aluminate, titanium organic compounds having 4 to 24 carbon atoms, zinc organic compounds having 2 to 12 carbon atoms and tin organic compounds having 4 to 24 carbon atoms; b. removing excess solution; and c. drying the impregnated inorganic oxide gel to form said active, highly abrasion-free and mechanically stable silica gel esterification catalysts.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said aluminum organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of trimethyl aluminum, triethyl aluminum, tri-isopropyl aluminum, tri-n-propyl aluminum, tributyl aluminum, trimethyl aetherate aluminum, triethyl etherate aluminum, tripropyl etherate aluminum, triphenyl aluminum, tri-p-tolyl aluminum, tri-p-tolyl aluminum etherate, lithium aluminum ester of methanol, lithium aluminum ester of ethanol, lithium aluminum ester of propanol, and lithium aluminum ester of butanol; said titanium orgnaic compounds are selected from the group consisting of titanic tetramethyl ester, titanic tetraethyl ester, titanic tetrapropyl ester, titanic tetraisopropyl etser, titanaic tetrabutyl ester, titanic-2-ethyleh'exyl ester, titanic ethylglycol ester, Na H T (OC.,H,,) and tetraisopropylic titanium; said zinc organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of zinc acetate, zinc propionate, zinc butyrate, zincdimethyl, zinc diethyl, zinc dipropyl, zinc dibutyl, zinc diamyl, ethyl-n-propyl zinc, ethyl-isobutyl zinc, n-propylisobutyl zinc, isobutyl-isoamyl zinc, zinc diphenyl, zinc ditrolyl and zinc betanaphthyl; said tin organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of tin tetramethyl, tin tetraethyl, tin tetrapropyl, tin tetraoctyl, tin tetraacetate, tin tetrapropionate, tin tetrabutyrate, tin trimethylethyl, tin trimethylpropyl, tin triethylpropyl, tin triethylisopropyl, tin tri-n-propyl-isobutyl, tin-n-amyl-n-propyl, tin tetraphenyl, tin tetratolyl, tin tetraxylol, (CH Sn OH, (C H,,) SnO, (C H Sn(OOC-CH;,) (C H Sn OCHOhd 3 and (C H Sn OC H 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said aluminum organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of trimethyl aluminum, triethyl aluminum, tri-isopropyl aluminum, tri-n-propyl aluminum, tributyl aluminum, trimethyl etherate aluminum. triethyl etherate aluminum, tripropyl etherate aluminum, triphenyl aluminum, tri-p-tolyl aluminum, tri-p-toyl aluminum etherate, lithium aluminum ester of methanol, lithium aluminum ester of ethanol, lithium aluminum ester of propanol, and lithium aluminum ester of butanol; said titanium organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of titanic tatramethyl ester, titanic tetraethyl ester, titanic tetrapropyl ester, titanic tetraisopropyl ester, titanic tetrabutyl ester, titanaic-Z-ethylhexyl ester, titanic ethlglycol ester, Na H T (OC H and tetraisopropylic titanium; said zinc organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of zinc acetate, zinc propionate, zinc butyrate, zinc dimethyl, zinc diethyl, zinc dirpopyl, zinc dibutyl, zinc diamyl, ethyl-n-propyl zinc, ethyl-isobutyl zinc, n-propyl-isobutyl zinc, isobutyl-isoamyl zinc, zinc diphenyl, zinc ditrolyl and zinc betanaphthyl; said tin organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of tin tetramethyl, tin tetraethyl, tin tetrapropyl, tin tetraoctyl, tin tetraacetate, tin tetrapropionate, tin tetrabutyrate, tin trimethylethyl, tin trimethylpropyl, tin triethylpropyl, tin triethylisopropyl, tin tri-n-propyl-isobutyl, tin-'n-amyl-n-propyl, tin tetraphenyl, tin tetratolyl, tin tetraxylol, (CH 3 Sn OH, (C H,,). SnO, (C H Sn(OOC-OH (Cg-l Sn OCH and (C H,,) Sn OC H 5. The esterification catalysts obtained by the method of claim 1.

6. The essterification catalysts obtained by the method of claim 2.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said esterification catalysts are reactivated by annealing in an airstream.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said annealing takes place at about 300 ti 700C.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said hydrogel has initially dispersed therein a particulate filler material having a weight means particle diameter of between 1 and 5 microns.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said particulate filler material has a weight means particle diameter of between 2 and 4 microns.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said solution contains about 0.01 to 8 percent by weight of said metallic compound based upon the weight of the metal therein.

.12. The method of claim-l, wherein the overall combination of said metallic compound: solvent: catalyst in parts by weight include 0.5 to parts by weight of said solvent: 400 to 1200 parts by weight of catalyst.

21 22 13. The method of claim I, wherein said drying of with aa gaseous mixture of methanol and water for step (c) takes place in a vacuum. about 30 to 300 minutes at a temperature of about 100 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising treatto 200C.

ing said csterification catalysts produced in step (c) 

2. an argillaceous mineral selected from the group consisting of kaolinite, montmorillonite and attapulgite in quantities from 5 to 30 percent by weight, based on the total solids in the sol; mixing the resulting suspension with hydrated magnesium oxide in quantities of from 0.1 to 3 percent by weight based on the total solids in the sol; dividing the resulting gelable mixture in droplet formm in a waterimmiscible liquid to effect gelation of the droplets; separating the dry solid material from the liquid and drying and heating the resulting bead-like granulated material for at least ten minutes at temperatures of from 500 to 1000*C, the improvement comprising: a. impregnating said inorganic oxide gel with a solution of a metallic compound selected from the group consisting of aluminum organic compounds having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, sodium aluminate, potassium aluminate, titanium organic compounds having 4 to 24 carbon atoms, zinc organic compounds having 2 to 12 carbon atoms and tin organic compounds having 4 to 24 carbon atoms; b. removing excess solution; and c. drying the impregnated inorganic oxide gel to form said active, highly abrasion-free and mechanically stable silica gel esterification catalysts.
 2. In the method for preparing active, highly abrasion-free and mechanically stable silica gel esterification catalysts from an inorganic oxide gel obtained by suspending a solid in an aqueous stable silicon dioxide sol with a specific surface area of 150 to 400 m2/g, which solid comprises
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said aluminum organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of trimethyl aluminum, triethyl aluminum, tri-iso-propyl aluminum, tri-n-propyl aluminum, tributyl aluminum, trimethyl aetherate aluminum, triethyl etherate aluminum, tripropyl etherate aluminum, triphenyl aluminum, tri-p-tolyl aluminum, tri-p-tolyl aluminum etherate, lithium aluminum ester of methanol, lithium aluminum ester of ethanol, lithium aluminum ester of propanol, and lithium aluminum ester of butanol; said titanium orgnaic compounds are selected from the group consisting of titanic tetramethyl ester, titanic tetraethyl ester, titanic tetrapropyl ester, titanic tetraisopropyl etser, titanaic tetrabutyl ester, titanic-2-ethylehexyl ester, titanic ethylglycol ester, Na H T (OC4Hg)6 and tetraisopropylic titanium; said zinc organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of zinc acetate, zinc propionate, zinc butyrate, zinc dimethyl, zinc diethyl, zinc dipropyl, zinc dibutyl, zinc diamyl, ethyl-n-propyl zinc, ethyl-isobutyl zinc, n-propyl-isobutyl zinc, isobutyl-isoamyl zinc, zinc diphenyl, zinc ditrolyl and zinc betanaphthyl; said tin organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of tin tetramethyl, tin tetraethyl, tin tetrapropyl, tin tetraoctyl, tin tetraacetate, tin tetrapropionate, tin tetrabutyrate, tin trimethylethyl, tin trimethylpropyl, tin triethylpropyl, tin triethylisopropyl, tin tri-n-propyl-isobutyl, tin-n-amyl-n-propyl, tin tetraphenyl, tin tetratolyl, tin tetraxylol, (C4Hg)3 Sn OH, (C4Hg)2 SnO, (C4Hg)2 Sn(OOC-CH3)2, (C4Hg)2 Sn OCH0hd 3 and (C4Hg)3 Sn OC2H5.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said aluminum organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of trimethyl aluminum, triethyl aluminum, tri-iso-propyl aluminum, tri-n-propyl aluminum, tributyl aluminum, trimethyl etherate aluminum, triethyl etherate aluminum, tripropyl etherate aluminum, triphenyl aluminum, tri-p-tolyl aluminum, tri-p-toyl aluminum etherate, lithium aluminum ester of methanol, lithium aluminum ester of ethanol, lithium aluminum ester of propanol, and lithium aluminum ester of butanol; said titanium organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of titanic tatramethyl ester, titanic tetraethyl ester, titanic tetrapropyl ester, titanic tetraisopropyl ester, titanic tetrabutyl ester, titanaic-2-ethylhexyl ester, titanic ethlglycol ester, Na H T (OC4Hg)6 and tetraisopropylic titanium; said zinc organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of zinc acetate, zinc propionate, zinc butyrate, zinc dimethyl, zinc diethyl, zinc dirpopyl, zinc dibutyl, zinc diamyl, ethyl-n-propyl zinc, ethyl-isobutyl zinc, n-propyl-isobutyl zinc, isobutyl-isoamyl zinc, zinc diphenyl, zinc ditrolyl and zinc betanaphthyl; said tin organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of tin tetramethyl, tin tetraethyl, tin tetrapropyl, tin tetraoctyl, tin tetraacetate, tin tetrapropionate, tin tetrabutyrate, tin trimethylethyl, tin trimethylpropyl, tin triethylpropyl, tin triethylisopropyl, tin tri-n-propyl-isobutyl, tin-n-amyl-n-propyl, tin tetraphenyl, tin tetratolyl, tin tetraxylol, (C4Hg)3 Sn OH, (C4Hg)2 SnO, (C4Hg)2 Sn(OOC-OH3)2, (C4Hg)2 Sn OCH3 and (C4Hg)3 Sn OC2H5.
 5. The esterification catalysts obtained by the method of claim
 1. 6. The essterification catalysts obtained by the method of claim
 2. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said esterification catalysts are reactivated by annealing in an airstream.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said annealing takes place at about 300* ti 700*C.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said hydrogel has initially dispersed therein a particulate filler material having a weight means particle diameter of between 1 and 5 microns.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said particulate filler material has a weight means particle diameter of between 2 and 4 microns.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said solution contains about 0.01 to 8 percent by weight of said metallic compound based upon the weight of the metal therein.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the overall combination of said metallic compound: solvent: catalyst in parts by weight include 0.5 to 50 parts by weight of said solvent: 400 to 1200 parts by weight of catalyst.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein said drying of step (c) takes place in a vacuum.
 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising treating said esterification catalysts produced in step (c) with aa gaseous mixture of methanol and water for about 30 to 300 minutes at a temperature of about 100 * to 200*C. 